If you deal with computers much at all, you will invariably have your hard drive go bad at some point. Hopefully, you will have your programs and data stored somewhere. You will also need to dust off your original Windows or Linux operating system CD. That is the first thing you will need to load on your new hard drive.
When you first boot up a computer, your BIOS program loads your basic information from a non-volatile chip. BIOS is often called firmware while your Windows operating system is called software. Your hard drive contains the operating system while the motherboard contains the BIOS. So, when you are working with a new hard drive, you will have to deal with the BIOS part of your computer first.
Upon booting up, you will get a brief chance to enter the BIOS setup before the hard drive operating system takes over. When you are trying to load a blank hard drive, you will need to press whatever key is mentioned for setup on your computer's first boot-up screen. For example, it is often the DEL key. Follow the instructions on the BIOS pages and look for your boot-up sequence. Your CD must be listed as the first or second option in booting up. When BIOS sees the blank hard drive, it will next look for a CD if your CD drive is set up as the second choice. Be certain to save your BIOS parameters so the Windows CD will be seen.
Next, hopefully, your computer will be able to read the operating system CD and load it into the new hard drive. Sometimes problems will occur in this process, though. For example, you may get to a point on the CD where you are asked to make a setup choice. If your mouse is not working at that point, you will have to use the TAB key on your keyboard until the focus brackets highlight the choice you need to make. Then, press the Enter key.
